Chicken Cacciatore Traditional Recipe

Published by:
Liz Marino
| 04/13/2023 | Last Updated: 05/25/2025

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An Easy Chicken Cacciatore Recipe everyone will love! This delicious recipe for chicken cacciatore is made on the stove in under an hour!

An overhead shot of chicken cacciatore in a bowl with a fork and bowl on the side

If you’re looking for a hearty and flavorful Italian dish that’s both easy to make and healthy, look no further than this Chicken Cacciatore recipe.

This recipe features super tender chicken simmered with lots of veggies in a rich tomato sauce, infused with fragrant herbs.

Not only is this a delicious comfort food, but it’s also packed with protein (48g per serving) and nutrients thanks to all the vegetables.

An overhead shot of chicken cacciatore in a bowl with a fork and bowl on the side

For more classic Italian dishes, try our Italian Wedding Soup, Chicken Scarpariello, Ricotta Cavatelli, Chicken Marsala, and Pasta Fagioli.

Ingredients

To make this recipe you’ll need:

Ingredients for chicken cacciatore in white bowls: Olive oil, Chicken breasts, Salt, Pepper, Onion, Garlic, Mushrooms, Bell peppers, Red wine, Crushed tomatoes, Chicken broth, Thyme, Rosemary , Oregano, Pasta
  • olive oil
  • chicken breasts – chicken thighs are also really yummy in chicken cacciatore because they’re higher in fat
  • onion, garlic
  • mushrooms, bell peppers
  • red wine – you can skip the wine, but it adds a nice depth of flavor
  • crushed tomatoes – opt for lower sodium if you need to
  • chicken broth
  • dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried oregano, salt, pepper
  • fettuccine – spaghetti will also work well

SUBSTITUTIONS

Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil, butter, or ghee.

Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders.

Red Wine: You can use additional broth instead of red wine in this recipe. Beef broth would be the most flavorful substitute.

Crushed tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes, diced, or marinara sauce would work in this recipe.

Veggies: Feel free to add more vegetables to this recipe. Zucchini, eggplant, or spinach would be great additions

How to make Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken breasts searing in a pan for chicken cacciatore
  1. Sear seasoned and pounded chicken breasts in olive oil for 6-7 minutes. Flip and sear for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside.
Onions, garlic, mushrooms and peppers cooking in a pan for chicken cacciatore
  1. Cook onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and spices to the pan. Stir together and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add red wine and peppers. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Chicken Stock and tomatoes added to a pan of veggies for chicken cacciatore
  1. Add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add cooked chicken back to the pot. Stir to combine, cover and cook on low to medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Fettuccine noodles tossed in veggies and sauce in a pan for chicken cacciatore
  1. While the chicken cooks, boil water for your pasta. Drain the pasta well and add to the pot. Stir together with sauce/chicken & enjoy!
Chicken cacciatore in a pan on a grey background

What to serve with Chicken Cacciatore

An overhead shot of chicken cacciatore in a bowl with a fork and bowl on the side

Storing and Reheating this Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Storing: This will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

Freezing: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. We like these containers for freezing.

Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave or on the stove.

Chicken Cacciatore Traditional FAQs

Why is it called Chicken Cacciatore?

Cacciatore means “hunter” and this dish is commonly referred to as a “hunter-style” dish.

Is chicken cacciatore better with red or white wine?

Red wine is the best choice for chicken cacciatore.

What’s the difference between chicken cacciatore and chicken parmesan?

Unlike chicken cacciatore, chicken parmesan is breaded and topped with cheese. We love our Chicken Parmesan and Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan.

An overhead shot of chicken cacciatore in a bowl with a fork and bowl on the side
An overhead shot of chicken cacciatore in a bowl with a fork and bowl on the side

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

Recipe by: Liz Marino
5 from 4 votes
An Easy Chicken Cacciatore Recipe everyone will love! This delicious recipe for chicken cacciatore is made on the stove in under an hour!
Prep Time : 15 minutes
Cook Time : 35 minutes
Total Time : 50 minutes
Serves : 4 2 Cup Servings
(hover over # to adjust)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 3 chicken breasts
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ cup onion 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves roughly chopped
  • 8 oz mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cups sliced bell peppers cut in strips
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • ½ cup crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • teaspoon dried thyme
  • teaspoon dried rosemary
  • teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ lb dry fettuccine pasta

Instructions

  1. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil.
  2. While olive oil warms in the pan, pound chicken breasts between saran wrap with a meat mallet (this helps make the chicken tender).
  3. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
  4. Once the oil in the pan is hot, sear the chicken for 6-7 minutes. Flip and sear for an additional 5 minutes.
  5. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
  6. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften.
  7. Once onions and garlic have cooked, add mushrooms and spices to the pan. Stir together and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften.
  8. Once mushrooms have cooked, add red wine and peppers. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine.
  9. Add cooked chicken back to the pot. Stir to combine, cover and cook on low to medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  10. While the chicken cooks, boil water for your pasta according to directions.
  11. Drain the pasta well and add to the pot. Stir together with sauce/chicken & enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2cups chicken & pasta | Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 1309mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2485IU | Vitamin C: 106mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
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5 from 4 votes

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Recipe Rating




8 Comments

  1. Adalgisa Packe says:

    5 stars
    Delicious and so easy to make. My family loves it

  2. Vicki Acker says:

    5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight and my family loved it! It was delicious, easy to make, and I will definitely be making it again.

  3. 5 stars
    My family loved this recipe, and I’ll be making it again. I doubled the number of servings so that we could have leftovers the next day. I used a bit more thyme, rosemary and oregano to suit our tastes. I served each portion on a bed of spaghetti. Thank you for another excellent recipe.

  4. Is there a crock pot version of the Chicken Cacciatore? If so, can you please post it? TY

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      No there isn’t! if there was I would’ve included it 🙂 I wouldn’t recommend making this in the crockpot because the vegetables will get mushy

  5. Sandy Vanmeulebrouck says:

    The recipe looks really good, except I am on a special diet with no carbs or sweets.
    Do you have recipes with no carbs and no very little fat?

    Sandyvan1939@gmail.com

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      Here’s a link to our low carb recipes. I would say that none of these are ‘no carb’. I’m not sure how strict you need to be with carbs, but this chicken cacciatore could be made and served over zucchini noodles. The peppers and tomato sauce still have carbs though, but if you’re looking to avoid refined carbs, that would be a great way to make this!

  6. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. Full of flavor and easy to make. This will definetly be a family favorite! I added 1/3 cup of frozen spinach towards the end for an added vegetable. Thank you once again for your wonderful dish.